Sole assembly for article of footwear

ABSTRACT

An article of footwear and a method of designing an article of footwear for manufacture. The article of footwear may include a plurality of shapes formed from a common shape family, with at least one of the plurality of shapes being based on distorting or morphing of key shapes within the common shape family. The plurality of shapes may be arranged within a morphing zone, optionally according to a shape path within the morphing zone. The shapes, in one embodiment, may be lugs or traction features of a sole assembly.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present application relates to footwear, and more particularly to a sole assembly for an article of footwear.

BACKGROUND

A conventional article of footwear includes an upper and a sole assembly. The general function of the upper is to receive the wearer's foot and secure it to the sole assembly. Uppers are available in a wide variety of shapes and styles for forming a broad range of categories of footwear, such as casual shoes, dress shoes, athletic shoes, work boots, dress boots, outdoor boots, casual sandals, dress sandals and performance sandals. The sole assembly is affixed to the undersurface of the upper and its general function is to provide traction and a layer of protection for the wearer's foot. The sole assembly can be designed not only to protect the foot from contact with the ground, but also to provide improved comfort and support for the foot.

The tread of the sole assembly (or ground contacting surface) may vary from application to application or based on the category of footwear. In many cases, the tread includes one or more ground contacting features, such as lugs, that provide traction for the wearer's foot. The ground contacting features may project from a base surface of the sole assembly so that some but not all portions of the tread contact the ground. Otherwise, if the entire surface of the base surface contacts the ground, slippage may occur particularly on wet surfaces. The ground contacting features may include a ground contacting surface and a sidewall surface joined with the base surface and the ground contacting surface, thereby providing a sipe to facilitate traction. The spacing of the ground contacting features and sipes may depend on the application—in the case of hiking applications where rocky terrain may be encountered as opposed to walking shoes for flat pavement, the spacing between the ground contacting features or sipe size may be greater to enable greater stability and traction with respect to the rock terrain.

Conventional design and manufacture of the sole assembly is a laborious process in which a designer hand draws the ground contacting features until satisfied or the sole assembly complies with the use case or category of the sole assembly as discussed herein—e.g., hiking, walking, or running. The look and feel of the outsole is also a factor the designer accounts for in designing the sole assembly. This process of hand drawing the sole assembly can take many hours and involve many revisions.

SUMMARY OF THE DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure is directed to an article of footwear and a method of designing an article of footwear for manufacture. The article of footwear may include a plurality of shapes formed from a common shape family, with at least one of the plurality of shapes being based on distorting or morphing of key shapes within the common shape family.

In one embodiment, the method is provided for designing an article of footwear including an upper and a sole assembly secured to the upper. The method includes providing a sole model representative of the sole assembly of the article of footwear, where the sole model defines a ground contacting surface of the sole assembly. The method may involve defining, for the sole model, a morphing zone with a first shape based on a common shape family, wherein the common shape family includes at least two key shapes that share a common set of vertices of a grid. The at least two key shapes are shaped differently such that a position of a first common vertex for one key shape is different from the position of the first common vertex for another key shape. The method may also include arranging the first shape based on the common shape family in the morphing zone, and determining a position for each vertex of the common set of vertices for the first shape by interpolating between corresponding vertices of the at least two key shapes of the common shape family. In this way, the first shape may be a distorted version of the at least two key shapes.

In another embodiment, an article of footwear is provided. The article of footwear may include an upper configured to receive a foot, and a sole assembly secured to the upper. The sole assembly may include an outsole configured to provide traction with respect to a ground surface, and may be positioned between the foot and the ground surface.

The outsole may include a lug zone that provides traction for at least a part of the outsole, where the lug zone includes a plurality of lugs that project from a base surface of the outsole to provide a ground contacting surface. The plurality of lugs in the lug zone being formed from a lug family defined by a common set of vertices.

The lug family may be defined by at least two key lugs that share the common set of vertices, where the common set of vertices includes a first common vertex, and where a shape of each of the at least two key lugs is different such that a position of the first common vertex for one key lug is different from the position of the first common vertex for another key lug.

The plurality of lugs projecting from the base surface of the outsole may include a deformed lug that is a deformed version of the at least two key lugs, where deformation of the at least two key lugs is defined by interpolation of positions between corresponding vertices in the common set of vertices for the at least two key lugs.

In yet another embodiment, a system for producing an article of footwear is provided with a sole design interface, a layout module, a morphing module, and a manufacturing system. The sole design interface may generate a sole model for the article of footwear, and may include the layout module and the morphing module.

The layout module may be configured to facilitate, based on user input, defining a shape path for a plurality of shapes from a common shape family. The shape path may include a start and an end, and may be defined prior to or after placement of the plurality of shapes. The common shape family may define a common vertex set for each shape based on the common shape family.

The morphing module may be configured to determine a surface contour of at least one shape of the plurality of shapes disposed on the shape path, and may be configured to determine the surface contour based on interpolation of the common vertex set for at least two key shapes from the common shape family. This way, the shape may be a distorted version of the at least two key shapes.

The manufacturing system in one embodiment may be configured to generate a sole assembly based on the sole model with the plurality of shapes disposed on the shape path.

Before the embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the details of operation or to the details of construction and the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention may be implemented in various other embodiments and of being practiced or being carried out in alternative ways not expressly disclosed herein. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including” and “comprising” and variations thereof is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items and equivalents thereof. Further, enumeration may be used in the description of various embodiments. Unless otherwise expressly stated, the use of enumeration should not be construed as limiting the invention to any specific order or number of components. Nor should the use of enumeration be construed as excluding from the scope of the invention any additional steps or components that might be combined with or into the enumerated steps or components.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A shows a sole assembly for footwear in accordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 1B shows an enlarged view of a portion of the sole assembly of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 1C shows a side view of the footwear of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 2 shows the sole assembly of FIG. 1A but morphed in accordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 3 shows a shape family in accordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 4 shows a shape family in accordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 5 shows a shape family in accordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 6 shows a shape family in accordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 7 depicts a system for manufacturing a sole assembly for footwear in accordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 8 shows an example sole assembly generated with the system of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 shows another example sole assembly generated with the system of FIG. 7.

FIG. 10 shows yet another example sole assembly generated with the system of FIG. 7.

FIG. 11 shows still another example sole assembly generated with the system of FIG. 7.

FIG. 12 depicts a shape family and a functional relationship of similarity with respect to one or more key shapes in the family.

DESCRIPTION

An article of footwear and a method of designing an article of footwear for manufacture are provided. The article of footwear may include a plurality of shapes (e.g., sole assembly shapes) formed from a common shape family, with at least one of the plurality of shapes being based on distorting or morphing key shapes within the common shape family. The plurality of shapes may be arranged within a morphing zone, optionally according to a shape path within the morphing zone. The shapes, in one embodiment, may be lugs or traction features of a sole assembly. As an example, the lugs or traction features may be formed on an outsole of the sole assembly. In another embodiment, the shapes may define zones or chunks of the sole assembly.

The common shape family may include two or more key shapes having a common set of vertices from which a new shape can be interpolated. For instance, the position of a first vertex for one key shape may be different from the position of this first vertex for another key shape. A new position for the first vertex may be determined based on interpolation of the positions of the first vertex for the two key shapes. This is one example of interpolation; several other examples are described herein.

I. Overview

An article of footwear according to one embodiment is shown in FIGS. 1A-C and generally designated 10. The article of footwear 10 includes a sole assembly 20 secured to an upper 30. The sole assembly 20 may include an outsole 22 that provides traction with respect to the ground on which the wearer may walk or run. The sole assembly may include a midsole 24 disposed between the outsole 22 and the upper 30. The midsole 24 may be constructed to provide a mechanical interface between the upper 30 and the outsole 22. Such a mechanical interface may be a cushion interface or an adhesive interface, or a combination thereof. It should be understood that the midsole 24 may be disposed continuously between the outsole 22 and the upper 30 or implemented in discrete parts.

The outsole 22, as described herein, may form a tread constructed to contact the ground for traction purposes during use. The outsole 22 in the illustrated embodiment may include a base surface 102 from which one or more features or shapes project to provide a traction surface for the outsole 22. The illustrated embodiment includes a plurality of lugs, several of which are designated 100, that project from the base surface 102 and include a ground contacting surface. Each of the plurality of lugs includes a sidewall that extends from the base surface 102 to the ground contacting surface. The base surface 102 may include features or shapes that do not project to provide a primary traction surface but rather provide other aesthetic or functional aspects, such as grooves for controlling flex of the outsole during use or sipes to direct water, or both. The term “primary traction surface” refers to the ground contacting surface or surfaces of the outsole assembly 22 constructed to provide traction on even ground. The term “secondary traction surface” refers to a surface or surfaces of the outsole assembly 22 that substantially intersect a plane closer to the upper surface than a plane defined by the primary traction surface. The secondary traction surface may provide traction with respect to uneven ground and/or upon deflection of the outsole in response to the primary traction surface contacting the ground. The base surface 102 in one embodiment may include one or more features, such as the base features designated 110 in the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 1A, that provide a secondary traction surface.

In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 1A, the outsole 22 includes one or more shape zones 11, 12, 14, 16, 18 that define a boundary within which one or more shapes from a common shape family, as discussed herein, are disposed. The one or more shape zones 11, 12, 14, 16 and 18 may define a lug zone in which similar lugs from the common shape family are arranged. For instance, in the illustrated embodiments of FIG. 1A-B, the lugs 100 are formed from a common shape family, and disposed within the shape zone 11. The lugs 100 are shown associated with a mesh or grid 200 that defines a plurality of vertices of the lugs 100.

The shape of each lug 100 in the illustrated embodiments of FIGS. 1A-B is defined by positions of its vertices in the grid 200 in three-dimensional space. The vertex positions of each lug 100 may be modified to yield an outsole 22 with different but similar shape as the outsole depicted in the illustrated embodiments of FIG. 1A-B. For instance, the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 2 shows the outsole 22 of FIG. 1A but with modification or distortion to the positions of the vertices for the lugs 100 so that the lugs 100 project farther from the base surface 102 by about 50%. As described herein, the modification or distortion may be implemented by a morphing engine, which may be configured to distort the positions of the vertices for shapes or features based on one or more distortion parameters, such as shape height.

In the illustrated embodiments of FIGS. 1A-B and 2, each of the shape zones 11, 12, 14, 16, 18 may include one or more shapes arranged within the zone. The shape zone 11, for instance, includes a plurality of lugs 100 and a plurality of base features 110 arranged in an interstitial relationship with respect to the plurality of lugs 100. The shape zone 11 may define the boundary within which the plurality of lugs 110 and base features 110 are disposed. Multiple shape zones may be defined with respect to the sole assembly 20 so that different areas or parts of the sole assembly 20 may include zones of varying properties. The boundary defined by these shape zones may facilitate arrangement of the shapes or features within the shape zones as described herein with respect to one embodiment. For instance, shape zones, 12, 14, 15 and 18 have different boundaries and different arrangements of shapes. The shape zone 16 includes a plurality of shapes 120 that are arranged differently from the plurality of shapes 130 within the shape zone 130. The layout engine and morphing engine according to one embodiment may facilitate arrangement and configuration of the plurality of shapes 120, 130 within the respective shape zones 16, 18.

In one embodiment, the midsole 24 may include a plurality of shapes or features disposed internal (e.g., substantially not visible to the wearer) to the midsole 24 or external along one or more sides of the article of footwear 10, such as the heel area, toe area, medial side, or lateral side. The term “medial” refers to the inward side of the article of footwear or the side facing the other shoe. The term “lateral” refers to the outward side or the side of the shoe opposite the medial side. The shapes or features of the midsole may provide aesthetic and/or functional contours on the exterior surface of the midsole. As an example, the shapes or features of the midsole may include trim or other structural detail that may be aesthetic as well as provide controlled compression of the midsole 24 during use. The structural detail may include grooves that enable controlled compression of the exterior surface of the midsole 24 so that creasing of the exterior surface can be controlled to occur at or near a particular location.

II. Key Shapes and Common Shape Families

As described herein, shapes or features incorporated into the sole assembly 20 may be based on a common shape family defined by one or more key shapes. The illustrated embodiment of FIG. 3 depicts a common shape family 300 including four key shapes 302, 304, 306, 308—although more or fewer key shapes may form part of the common shape family 300. Each of the key shapes 302, 304, 306, 308 of the common shape family 300 share a common set of vertices defined by a grid (e.g., the same number of vertices within a grid). The positions of these vertices may be different for each key shape 302, 304, 306, 308, such that additional shapes within the same family may be generated by interpolation of corresponding vertex positions for one or more key shapes. In this way, a new shape (also described as a blend shape) may be generated by determining a distortion of a key shape or morphing or blending between two key shapes. In the context of blending or morphing, the new shape may be considered a mix between the two key shapes.

As discussed herein, a blend shape or new shape (not previously defined) may be generated as a morph or blend between two or more key shapes in the common shape family 300. In one embodiment, the blend shape may be based on modifications of a single shape associated with the common shape family 300—with modifications or blending defined by two or more key shapes of the common shape family 300. The single shape can be modified according one or more family parameters, such as height, size, target shapes or positions (including for example the peak or depth of a divot in the shape). As described herein, the blend shape can be manually placed in an area of a sole assembly 20, or the single shape of the common shape family 300 may be placed in an area of the sole assembly 20 and then modified to arrive at the blend shape at the location of placement.

For purposes of disclosure, the blend process for the single shape of the common shape family 300 will be described in conjunction with a plurality of controls or sliders that facilitate modification. It should be understood that a different process may be utilized. The plurality of controls may allow a designer to affect one or more parameters of the single shape in relation to two or more key shapes in the common shape family 300. The plurality of controls may be considered influencers respectively associated with a numeric value of an associated parameter.

The one or more parameters may include an independent property that is independent of the common shape family 300, including for example height, width, or size, or a combination thereof. Additionally, or alternatively, the one or more parameters may include a dependent property that is dependent on aspects of two or more key shapes in the common shape family 300, such that the numeric value may represent a balance between properties or positions of two or more key shapes. For instance, the numeric value may be representative of a similarity index between two or more key shapes, such as whether the blend shape is 60% similar (similarity index) to one key shape but 15% and 25% (similarity indices) respectively similar to two other key shapes. The position calculation for vertices may be based on linear interpolation with respect to the two or more key shapes, weighted by the similarity index. As another example, influencers for a numeric value can be a function of modifiers related to the common shape family 300. Example modifiers that can be defined by the designer include divot, curves, twists, sharpness, rotation, size, and sheer (e.g., offset, slope, or wrap).

Interpolation, conducted by a morphing engine or module, with respect to a vertex may be based on values for each of the plurality of controls and the respective effect of each control on the vertex position. This way, starting with the similarity index example, the additional controls that affect the area of influence associated with the vertex (e.g., sharpness) may affect the interpolation calculation for the position of the vertex.

It is worth noting that a control need not affect the entirety of a shape. Areas of influence may be defined with respect to a control. For instance, a modifier may be applied to one or more areas of a shape so that only a portion of the shape is modified according to the control.

Any number of morphing or blending techniques may be utilized, including conventional morphing techniques utilized in animation technology. However, the morphing capabilities may be targeted toward generating blend shapes distributed in space or physically manifested as opposed to being utilized to generate changes over time.

It should be understood that, as the number of influencers or controls that are adjusted increases, the amount of variance in a blend shape from one or more key shapes may increase as well. This may increase the dimension of variance allowed with respect to the new shape based on the common shape family 300. The illustrated embodiment of FIG. 12 depicts this variability with a chart representative of a key shape family 1200 including first, second, and third key shapes 1201, 1202, 1203. The greater the number of key shapes in the shape family 1200, the greater the variability of new shapes or blend shapes based on the shape family. The chart of FIG. 12 depicts several blend shapes based on the first, second, and third key shapes 1201, 1202, 1203 with varying similarity indices. With respect to the chart, the more similar a blend shape is to one of the key shapes, the closer the blend shape is positioned toward that key shape at the perimeter of the chart. The center point or origin of the chart is considered a neutral position in which the blend shape is equally similar to the first, second, and third key shapes 1201, 1202, 1203.

For instance, the blend shape 1210 is identified as having similarity indices indicative of greater similarity to the first and second key shapes 1201, 1202, and therefore is shaped more similar to these key shapes. In a likewise manner, the blend shape 1230 is identified as having similarity indices indicative of greater similarity to the second and third key shapes 1202, 1203, and therefore appears more similar to these key shapes over the first key shape 1201. The blend shapes 1220, 1222, 1224 illustrate the progression of variance as the position of the blend shape varies in similarity with respect to the key shapes of the shape family 1200.

In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 3, the key shapes 302, 304, 306, 308 form lugs that may be incorporated into an outsole assembly 20. As a result, the key shapes include a ground contacting surface 320 and a sidewall 322 that extends from a base surface of the outsole assembly 20 to the ground contacting surface 320.

For purposes of discussion in connection with this example, the second key shape 304 may be considered a new shape that is generated as a distortion or mix between the first key shape 302 and the third key shape 306. The first and third key shapes 306 may share a common vertex set, potentially with some vertices sharing the same position while others have different positions. As depicted in the illustrated embodiment, portions of the ground contacting surfaces 320 for the first and third key shapes 302, 306 include corresponding vertices that have the same positions, whereas several vertices of the third key shape 306 that define part of the ground contacting surface 320 have different positions in the first key shape 302 and define part of the sidewall 320 of the first key shape 302. The second key shape 304 or new shape for purposes of this example includes vertex positions that are an interpolation between corresponding vertex positions of the first and third key shapes 302, 306.

Interpolation or distortion between corresponding vertices may be calculated or determined in a variety of ways. In one embodiment, the position of each vertex may be defined by X, Y, Z coordinates. Coordinates for corresponding vertices may be interpolated to yield new coordinates for the corresponding vertex in a new shape. In one embodiment, the interpolation of the two coordinates may be linear interpolation of the midpoint between each axis of the coordinates. For instance, if one vertex is positioned at (2, 2, 2) and the other corresponding vertex is positioned at (4, 6, 8), linear, midpoint interpolation of these coordinates may yield a new coordinate of (3, 4, 5). Other interpolation techniques may be utilized such as polynomial interpolation, spline interpolation, or linear interpolation according to criteria other than midpoint calculation. It should also be understood that the interpolation technique for one axis of the coordinates may not be the same as the interpolation technique for another axis of the coordinates.

In one embodiment, a new shape (possibly to become key shape) may be generated by user-based distortion of a key shape. Examples of user-based distortions include bending, inflating, or undulating a portion of the key shape to yield the new shape. With the new shape and the key shape sharing a common set of vertices (e.g., the same vertex count), the morphing engine as described herein may interpolate the new shape and the key shape to yield another new shape that is a mix between the new shape and the key shape.

As depicted in the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 4, four key shapes 402, 404, 406, 408 are shown as part of a common shape family 400—although more or fewer key shapes may be used. In the illustrated embodiment, key shape 406 may have been generated as a new shape and stored in memory as a key shape based at least in part on linear interpolation of the second key shape 404 and the fourth key shape 408. As can be seen in FIG. 4, the height of the key shape 406 is approximately at the midpoint between the respective heights of the second and fourth key shapes 404, 408. Further, the ground contacting surfaces 420 and sidewalls 422 of the key shape 406 are approximately at the midpoint for each corresponding set of vertices of the second and fourth key shapes 404, 408. After interpolation between the second and fourth key shapes 404, 408 (or any two key shapes) to yield a new shape, the new shape may be stored in memory as a key shape. Optionally, the key shape may be modified or distorted via user-based manipulation of the shape to yield a modified version of the interpolation.

In the illustrated embodiments of FIGS. 3 and 4, the shapes or features in the common shape families 300, 400 are primary configured for incorporation as lugs into an outsole assembly 20. It should be understood that the present disclosure is not so limited, and that different types of features of the outsole assembly 20 other than the lugs may be implemented by determining a distortion or blend shape based on two or more key shapes, including for example medial and lateral side features of the midsole, or chunks of the sole assembly such as the heel region or the toe region.

The illustrated embodiment of FIG. 5 depicts yet another type or family of shapes 500 that may be incorporated into a sole assembly 50. The shape family 500 in the illustrated embodiment includes four key shapes 402, 404, 406, 408, but may include more or fewer key shapes. The key shapes 402, 404, 406, 408 share a common set of vertices and depict a progression of distortion between the first and fourth key shapes 402, 408 to yield a variety of shapes in the same family that can be incorporated into a sole assembly 20.

The shape family 500 in the illustrated embodiment relates generally to a curved feature that can morph between a basic curved element to a zig zag element. Such a feature or a plurality of such features may be incorporated into a lateral sidewall or a medial sidewall, or both, of the sole assembly 20. The boundary of a shape zone may affect the size and shape of the feature or features from the shape family 500 that are incorporated into the shape zone. In the case of a single shape for a shape zone, the boundary may define the bounds for which a distorted version of one or more key shapes 502, 504, 506, 508 is determined from the shape family 500.

Turning to of FIG. 6, a shape family 600 according to one embodiment may form a chunk or a part of the sole assembly 620, such as the heel section 632, instep section 634, or toe section 636 depicted in the illustrated embodiment. Accordingly, as discussed herein, a shape family for incorporation into a sole assembly is not limited to external features or shapes—rather, a shape from the shape family may form internal aspects or external aspects, or both, of the sole assembly. It should be further understood that the present disclosure is not limited to a sole assembly, and a shape of a shape family may be incorporated into other aspects of the article of footwear, such as the upper, even into other articles, such as an article of clothing or garment.

The shape family 600 in the illustrated embodiment relates primarily to a family of shapes for the heel section 632, but it should be understood that the present disclosure is not so limited and may relate to other parts of the sole assembly 620, such as a shape 633 for the instep section 634 or a shape 635 for the toe section 636, or both. The shape family 600 in the illustrated embodiment is shown with a single key shape 610—although more key shapes may be included in the shape family 600. As discussed herein, the one or more key shapes in the shape family 600 may share a common vertex set, which may enable interpolation between corresponding vertices of different shapes within the same family or according to one or more influencers.

The key shape 610 in the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 6 may include one or more surface zones defined by boundaries or frame edges. These frame edges may be manipulated or distorted alone or in conjunction with other aspects of the key shape 610 to form the heel section 632 for the style of footwear for which the sole assembly 620 will be used. For instance, the base zone that forms the at least part of the base surface or bottom of the sole assembly 620 may be defined by the base frame edge 602, and the heel cup may be defined by a heel frame edge 604. The key shape 610 may be stored in memory as part of its shape family 600 for use in designing articles of footwear. In one embodiment, the key shape 610 may provide a starting point for the heel section 623 of a type or style of footwear, such as a hiking shoe with a thicker midsole for cushion and a deep heel cup for lateral heel support. In one example, the designer may morph or distort the key shape 610 via user input or by defining a boundary zone within which the key shape 610 is to fit and then enabling the morphing engine to distort the key shape 610 to fit the space within the boundary zone. As another example, the key shape 610 may be distorted so that the frame edge may align with a frame edge of another shape, such as the shape 633 of the instep zone 632. The size and shape of the key shape 610 may be morphed, possibly as an interpolation with another key shape in the same family 600, or as an interpolation with respect to the region at which the frame edge 604 of the key shape 610 is intended to align with the frame edge of the shape 633. At this region, the key shape 610 may interface with the shape 633, and this interface may form the basis for a polymash operation in which the shapes are joined together. In this way, a base type of midsole or sole assembly may be formed as an aggregate of multiple blend shapes, each based on respective common shape families according to an embodiment herein.

III. Sole Assembly Engine

A sole assembly engine in accordance with one embodiment for designing and modeling a sole assembly for manufacture is shown in FIG. 7 and generally designated 710. The sole assembly engine 710 may form part of a system 700 that enables designing and manufacturing of the sole assembly.

The sole assembly engine 710 may include one or more of the following: a processor 712, memory 716, and an input/output interface 714. The input/output interface 714 may include one or more input communication interfaces, including, for example, wired communication and wireless communication capabilities. Likewise, the input/output interface 714 may include one or more output communication interfaces, including at least one wired interface and at least one wireless interface, or any combination thereof. The processor 712 and memory 716 may be configured to facilitate layout and design of the sole assembly in accordance with one embodiment.

For instance, the processor 712 and memory 716 may be programmed to receive, via the input/output interface 714, user-based commands for arrangement of one or more shapes or features with respect to a sole assembly model. For instance, the user may utilize the input/output interface to identify a shape path or shape location for one or more shapes in accordance with one embodiment. The user-based commands may also identify zone or boundaries within which the one or more shapes are arranged.

In the illustrated embodiment, the sole assembly engine 710 is configured to communicate with a shape library 730 to obtain information related to a shape or its shape family. The shape library 730 may include data or information stored in memory for one or more shape families 732, each of which may include one or more key shapes 734. The shape library 730 may be a database stored in the memory 716. Additionally or alternatively, all or part of the shape library 730 may be accessible via communication with another processor, such as via a network-based server. In one embodiment, one or more key shapes 734 from the shape library 730 may be distorted with user-based input to form a new shape within the shape family 732. This new shape may be stored in the memory 716 as a key shape for the shape family 732, in the shape library 730 or separately as a temporary key shape of the shape family 732.

The one or more shape families 732 stored in the shape library 730 may correspond to one or more common shape families with a common vertex set, as discussed herein with respect to one embodiment. And, each key shape 734 in a shape family 732 may correspond to a key shape based on the common vertex set. The key shape may form the basis for a distorted version of the shape within the same shape family 732, such as a distorted lug of a sole assembly that is an interpolation between two shapes 734 of the shape family 732.

In the illustrated embodiment, the sole assembly engine 710 includes a layout module 750 and a morphing module 740. The layout module 750 may facilitate placement of one or more shapes forming part of the sole assembly 20, such as the one or more lugs 100. As discussed herein, the one or more shapes may be manually positioned and/or automatically generated and positioned for a shape path based on one or more manually positioned shapes and one or more key shapes in the same shape family as the manually positioned shapes.

FIG. 8 Example Layout

To provide an example, layout of the sole assembly 800 in the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 8 will now be described in further detail with respect to the layout module 750. The sole assembly 800 in the illustrated embodiment is defined by one or more shape zones, including a forefoot shape zone 830, an instep shape zone 832, a forward heel shape zone 834, a lateral heel shape zone 836, and a medial heel shape zone 838. More or fewer shape zones may be utilized, and it should be understood that the location and size of shape zones may vary from application to application. In one embodiment, the designer may determine and define the shape zones with the layout module 750.

In the illustrated embodiment, the designer may define one or more shape paths in each of the shape zones, including for example the shape paths 840, 842 depicted within the shape zone 830. A first lug 850 may be selected from the shape library 730 and manually positioned on the shape path 840. A second lug 852 may be selected from the same family as the first lug 850 and placed on the shape path 840 in a spaced apart relationship. The first lug 850 and/or the second lug 852 may be morphed or modified with the morphing module 740 to respectively form new shapes, possibly different from each other.

Based on the parameters of the first lug 850 and the second lug 852, including their shapes, the layout module 730 may generate a progression of shapes 860, 862 along the shape path 840. The progression of lugs 860, 862 may be based on a morphing gradient between the first lug 850 and the second lug 852. The morphing gradient may be determined based on the sizes and shapes of the first and second lugs 850, 852, as well as the distance between the first and second lugs 850, 852. This morphing gradient and the automatic placement of the lugs 860, 862 may be determined by the morphing module 740.

The shapes and shape paths utilized within the shape zone 830 may be from different shape families and are not limited to lug-type shapes. For instance, within the shape zone 830, the designer may define a shape path 842 adjacent to the shape path 840 for a type of shape different from the first and second lugs 850, 852. The designer may place a first shape feature 870 and a second shape feature 872 in a space apart relationship on the shape path 842. The morphing module 740 may determine a morphing gradient and in conjunction with the layout module 750 automatically place a progression of shape features 882, 884 between the first and second shape features 870, 872.

For purposes of disclosure, shape paths 840, 842 are described in connection with the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 8—however, as depicted, there are multiple shape paths in the shape zones 830, 834, 836, 838 designated by a line and points indicating a progression of shapes along the line. The morphing module 740 and layout module 750 may facilitate placement and arrangement of shapes in accordance with the shape paths.

FIG. 9 Example Layout

To provide another example with respect to the sole assembly engine 710, including the layout module 750, layout of the sole assembly 900 in the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 9 will now be described. The sole assembly 900 in the illustrated embodiment includes a forefoot zone 930 and heel zone 932—although it should be understood that more or fewer zones may be defined depending on the application and the designer's vision. In one example, one or more zones may be defined within another zone. Optionally, the boundary of a zone may be provided as an input to the layout module 750 and the morphing module 740 so as to facilitate determining a progression of shapes along a shape path.

In the illustrated embodiment, the forefoot zone 930 includes an outer lug shape path 940 that traverses the periphery of the forefoot zone 930. In one embodiment, a first lug 942 and a second lug 944 may be positioned on the lug shape path 940 in a spaced apart configuration. The first and second lugs 942, 944 may be selected from a shape family 732 of the shape family 730. The layout module 750, based on input from the designer, may position the first and second lugs 942, 944 within the forefoot zone 930. Based on further user input, layout module 750 in conjunction with the morphing module 750 may adjust one or more parameters of the first and second lugs 942, 944 in accordance with one or more embodiments described herein. For instance, the morphing module 740 may determine positions of the vertices of the first lug 942 based on adjustment to one or more controls or influencers for one or more areas of influence with respect to the first lug 942. This way, the first lug 942 may be modified according to the one or more controls and based on aspects of the underlying shape family associated with the first lug 942. For instance, the morphing module 740 may accept an input from the designer relating to curvature of the first lug 942 at the perimeter of the forefoot zone 930 to contour the first lug 942. Similar input and modification may be conducted by the morphing module 740 based on input from the designer.

Optionally, the layout module 750 and the morphing module 740 may determine a progression of shapes (e.g., lugs) along the shape path 940 between the first and second lug 942, 944. The progression may be based on the shapes of the first and second lug 942 (e.g., determining a shape gradient between the first and second lugs 942, 944), the shape path 940, and shape path boundaries 950, 952. The layout module 750 may determine a position of each shape in the progression based at least on the distance between the first and second lugs 942, 944, the size of each of the first and second lugs 942, 944, and a spacing factor determined by the designer. The layout module 750 in conjunction with the morphing module 740 may determine a physical shape of each of the lugs in the progression based on the determined positions, the shape boundaries 950, 952, and shape parameters of the first and second lugs 942, 944.

In one embodiment, each of the shapes disposed on the shape path 940 and between the first and second lugs 942, 944 may be positioned manually from the shape library 730. The shapes positioned on the shape path may be from the same or different shape families. Further, it should be understood that the first and second lugs 942, 944 may be from different shape families—although they are depicted from the same family in the illustrated embodiment. The layout module 750, based on user input, may enable placement of shapes from the shape library on the shape path 940 (which may not be defined prior to placement of the shapes). The morphing module 740 may enable the designer, based on user input, to control and morph each of the shapes positioned by the layout module 950 to form a new shape or a blend shape in accordance with one or more embodiments described herein.

As depicted in the illustrated embodiment, the sole assembly 900 may include more than one shape paths for shapes. The shape paths may be defined before positioning the shapes or after positioning of the shapes in accordance with the designer's vision. For instance, the shape path 960 may be defined by placement with the layout module 750 of the shapes 962, 964. Optionally, the shape path 960 may be positioned by the designer with the layout module 750, and then the shapes 962, 964 may be positioned in accordance with the shape path 960.

FIGS. 10 and 11 Example Layouts

Further examples of shape paths are depicted in the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 9 as well as the illustrated embodiments of FIGS. 10 and 11 with continuous lines and hash marks identifying a center of each shape on the shape paths. In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 10, a sole assembly 1000 is shown with first, second, and third shape paths 1040, 1042, 1044, each with respective shapes designed by hash marks. For instance, the shapes 1050, 1052 are designate with hash marks on the shape path 1040.

The illustrated embodiment of FIG. 11 depicts yet another sole assembly designated 1100 in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. The sole assembly 1100 includes a plurality of shapes 1102, 1104, 1106, 1108, 1110, 1112 disposed along a shape path 1140 within a shape zone 1130. The plurality of shapes 1102, 1104, 1106, 1108, 1110, 1112 are from the same shape family. Optionally, the shapes may be positioned and sized automatically based at least on placement of spaced apart first and second shapes along the shape path 1140, a shape spacing factor, and the boundary of the shape zone 1130.

Returning to the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 7, the sole assembly engine 710 may facilitate generation of a three-dimensional model for a sole assembly in accordance with one embodiment. In an alternative embodiment, the sole assembly engine 710 may facilitate modeling of additional aspects of the footwear including for example an upper.

With a model of the sole assembly, the sole assembly engine 710 may encode and transfer information relating to the sole assembly model to a sole and/or footwear manufacturing system, described as a manufacturing system and designated 790 in the illustrated embodiment. The manufacturing system 790 may be configured to process the model information to generate a physical embodiment of the sole assembly model generated by the sole assembly engine 710.

A variety of manufacturing techniques may be utilized by the manufacturing system 790 for generation of the sole from the model. In one embodiment, the manufacturing system 790 may include an additive manufacturing system configured to produce the sole assembly from the model on demand. In this way, a consumer may purchase the footwear 10 from a point of sale, and the manufacturing system 790 may generate the sole assembly from the model in accordance with parameters of the same.

The consumer may provide user preference information at the point of sale related to the sole assembly construction. This user preference information may be provided as criteria to the morphing engine 740 to modify one or more shapes of the sole assembly. As an example, the user preference data may relate to a desired increase in lug height, such as a user preference for hiking over walking. This information may be provided to the morphing engine to adjust a lug height of one or more shapes in accordance with each shape's respective shape family. A model of the modified sole assembly may be provided to the manufacturing system 790 for on demand, customized manufacture of footwear 10 in accordance with the user preference information.

The user preference information may be obtained directly or indirectly, or a combination thereof, from the user. For instance, as noted in the preceding paragraph, the consumer may directly provide her preference for a particular type of use or lug height. Additionally, or alternatively, the consumer may indirectly provide user preference information via a survey (or questionnaire) and/or sensor information obtained with respect to the consumer. Sensor information may relate to any characteristic of the consumer, such as a gait of the consumer or a pressure map of the consumer's foot.

Examples of additive manufacturing systems that may be incorporated into the manufacturing system 790 are described in U.S. Provisional Appl. No. 62/538,341, entitled ARTICLE OF FOOTWEAR HAVING A 3-D PRINTED FABRIC, filed Jul. 28, 2017, to VanWagnen et al., U.S. Provisional Appl. No. 62/511,626, entitled ARTICLE OF FOOTWEAR, filed May 26, 2017, to Loveder et al., and U.S. Nonprovisional application Ser. No. 15/491,373, entitled FOOTWEAR POINT OF SALE AND MANUFACTURING SYSTEM, filed Apr. 19, 2017, to Loveder et al.—the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

Directional terms, such as “vertical,” “horizontal,” “top,” “bottom,” “upper,” “lower,” “inner,” “inwardly,” “outer” and “outwardly,” are used to assist in describing the invention based on the orientation of the embodiments shown in the illustrations. The use of directional terms should not be interpreted to limit the invention to any specific orientation(s).

The above description is that of current embodiments of the invention. Various alterations and changes can be made without departing from the spirit and broader aspects of the invention as defined in the appended claims, which are to be interpreted in accordance with the principles of patent law including the doctrine of equivalents. This disclosure is presented for illustrative purposes and should not be interpreted as an exhaustive description of all embodiments of the invention or to limit the scope of the claims to the specific elements illustrated or described in connection with these embodiments. For example, and without limitation, any individual element(s) of the described invention may be replaced by alternative elements that provide substantially similar functionality or otherwise provide adequate operation. This includes, for example, presently known alternative elements, such as those that might be currently known to one skilled in the art, and alternative elements that may be developed in the future, such as those that one skilled in the art might, upon development, recognize as an alternative. Further, the disclosed embodiments include a plurality of features that are described in concert and that might cooperatively provide a collection of benefits. The present invention is not limited to only those embodiments that include all of these features or that provide all of the stated benefits, except to the extent otherwise expressly set forth in the issued claims. Any reference to claim elements in the singular, for example, using the articles “a,” “an,” “the” or “said,” is not to be construed as limiting the element to the singular. Any reference to claim elements as “at least one of X, Y and Z” is meant to include any one of X, Y or Z individually, and any combination of X, Y and Z, for example, X, Y, Z; X, Y; X, Z; and Y, Z. 

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
 1. A method of designing an article of footwear, the article of footwear including an upper and a sole assembly secured to the upper, said method comprising: providing a sole model representative of the sole assembly of the article of footwear, the sole model defining a ground contacting surface of the sole assembly; defining, for the sole model, a morphing zone with a first shape based on a common shape family, wherein the common shape family includes at least two key shapes that share a common set of vertices of a grid, wherein the at least two key shapes are shaped differently such that a position of a first common vertex for one key shape is different from the position of the first common vertex for another key shape; arranging the first shape based on the common shape family in the morphing zone; and determining a position for each vertex of the common set of vertices for the first shape by interpolating between corresponding vertices of the at least two key shapes of the common shape family, wherein the first shape is a distorted version of the at least two key shapes.
 2. A product according to the method of claim 1 comprising manufacturing the sole assembly according to the sole model with the at least one shape.
 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first shape is a lug that defines a ground contacting surface and that projects from a base surface of the sole model.
 4. The method of claim 1 comprising: arranging a shape path in the morphing zone, the shape path beginning with a start shape and ending with an end shape with one or more intermediary shapes disposed along the shape path between the start shape and the end shape, wherein the start shape, the end shape, and the one or more intermediary shapes are defined by a common set of vertices based on the common shape family; and determining a position for each vertex of the common set of vertices for the one or more intermediary shapes based on interpolation of positions between corresponding vertices in the common set for the start shape and the end shape.
 5. The method of claim 1 comprising determining a number of the one or more intermediary shapes based on a distance along the shape path between the start lug and the end lug, a size of the start lug, and a size of the end lug.
 6. The method of claim 4 wherein said arranging the shape path includes defining a non-linear path between the start shape and the end shape.
 7. The method of claim 1 wherein the morphing zone is a first morphing zone, and comprising defining a second morphing zone based on a second common shape family different from the common shape family of the first morphing zone.
 8. The method of claim 7 comprising arranging a second shape in the second morphing zone based on the second common shape family, wherein the second shape is a distorted version of at least two key shapes of the second common shape family.
 9. An article of footwear comprising: an upper configured to receive a foot; a sole assembly secured to said upper, said sole assembly including an outsole configured to provide traction with respect to a ground surface, said sole assembly positioned between the foot and the ground surface; said outsole including a lug zone that provides traction for at least a part of said outsole, said lug zone including a plurality of lugs that project from a base surface of said outsole to provide a ground contacting surface, said plurality of lugs in said lug zone being formed from a lug family defined by a common set of vertices; said lug family including at least two key lugs that share said common set of vertices, wherein said common set of vertices includes a first common vertex, wherein a shape of each of said at least two key lugs is different such that a position of said first common vertex for one key lug is different from said position of said first common vertex for another key lug; and wherein said plurality of lugs projecting from said base surface of said outsole include a deformed lug that is a deformed version of said at least two key lugs, wherein deformation of said at least two key lugs is defined by interpolation of positions between corresponding vertices in said common set of vertices for said at least two key lugs.
 10. The article of footwear of claim 9 wherein each of said plurality of lugs of said lug zone is defined as one of said at least two key lugs or by deformation of said at least two key lugs.
 11. The article of footwear of claim 9 wherein: said lug zone includes a lug path with a start lug and an end lug with one or more intermediary lugs disposed along said lug path between said start lug and said end lug, wherein said start lug and said end lug are from said lug family defined by said common set of vertices; and a shape of said one or more intermediary lugs is based on interpolation of positions between corresponding vertices in said common set for said start lug and said end lug.
 12. The article of footwear of claim 11 wherein a number of said one or more intermediary lugs is user defined.
 13. The article of footwear of claim 11 wherein a number of said one or more intermediary lugs is automatically determined based on a distance along said lug path between said start lug and said end lug, a size of said start lug, and a size of said end lug.
 14. The article of footwear of claim 9 wherein said outsole includes a plurality of said lug zones, wherein said plurality of lugs from each of said lug zones are based on different lug families.
 15. A system for producing an article of footwear, said system comprising: a sole design interface for generating a sole model for the article of footwear, said sole design interface including: a layout module configured to facilitate, based on user input, defining a shape path for a plurality of shapes from a common shape family, said shape path having a start and an end, said common shape family defining a common vertex set for each shape based on said common shape family; a morphing module configured to determine a surface contour of at least one shape of said plurality of shapes disposed on said shape path, said morphing module configured to determine said surface contour based on interpolation of said common vertex set for at least two key shapes from said common shape family, wherein said shape is a distorted version of said at least two key shapes; and a manufacturing system configured to generate a sole assembly based on said sole model with said plurality of shapes disposed on said shape path.
 16. The system of claim 15 wherein said plurality of shapes are footwear lugs that define a ground contacting surface and that project from a base surface of said sole model.
 17. The system of claim 15 wherein said shape path is defined along a ground facing surface of said sole model.
 18. The system of claim 15 wherein said shape path is defined along a lateral side surface or medial side surface of said sole model.
 19. The system of claim 18 wherein said shape path is disposed along a mid-sole of said sole model.
 20. The system of claim 15 wherein said manufacturing system is an additive manufacturing system. 